I saw a query letter this week with a “pear of scissors”in it. The author, who lives in a land that was once part of the British Empire, speaks English as a second language. I didn’t have to read more than the query, to know the manuscript, if accepted, would be riddled with similar problems and so it was a no-go right from the start.
Now I know you all know the difference between a pear and a pair of scissors, but obviously someone had a problem. In fact EASL people by no means have a corner of this market and I have often confused compliment and complement or farther and further myself, among others. These are two that I always search and double-check in a completed manuscript, knowing my propensity for getting them wrong. Continue reading “Trouble with Homonyms by Arline Chase”